


What If?

by thecanadiananimagus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Yule Ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29097705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecanadiananimagus/pseuds/thecanadiananimagus
Summary: Prompt: "Could you please write something where Ron isn't an idiot and actually asks Hermione to the yule ball?"
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 44





	What If?

“Why do they have to move in packs?” Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. “How’re you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?”

“Lasso one?” Ron suggested. “Got any idea who you’re going to try?”

Harry didn’t answer. Ron knew perfectly well whom he’d like to ask, but Harry hadn’t made much progress with Cho.

None, actually.

“Listen, you’re not going to have any trouble. You’re a champion. You’ve just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they’ll be queuing up to go with you.”

“Yeah, well who’re you going to ask?” Harry pulled him to a stop, scanning the groups of girls nearby. “I’d bet you could convince some of the Beauxbatons you’re in your seventh year. And they barely speak English! If you got rejected, it’d sting a lot less.”

Ron pulled his bag closer, looking down at his feet.

“I figured I’d ask Hermione.” he said, his ears turning pink.

“… the fuck?”

“Oh, shut up.” Ron gave Harry a light shove as they resumed walking. “It wasn’t like I was actually going to _ask_ someone. I’d be mad if I did. Plus, I figured it’s easier asking Hermione than anyone else. She’s our best friend; I like her… and she’s not bad looking.” he added, though quietly.

Harry’s mouth was hanging open slightly, looking a Ron in disbelief.

“Where’s this even coming from?”

He shrugged, moving to Harry’s other side to cover him from another group of girls passing by, giggling at the sight of him.

“Hermione’s a girl, isn’t she?”

It was Harry’s turn to shove Ron. Well, it wasn’t exactly a shove. He’d taken his potions textbook from his bag, got on his toes, and whomped him on the head.

“What’d you do that for?!” Ron cried, rubbing the back of his head.

“I can’t believe I have to say this mate - and I don’t know much about girls, but this one’s pretty obvious - don’t say any of that to Hermione!”

Ron paused.

“Why not?”

Harry took off his glasses, squinted, and tried his best to imitate Ron’s voice and movements, walking with exaggerated steps because of how lanky he was.

“Hey, Hermione. It’s taken me three years to notice you’re a girl! Wanna go to the ball with me? Ow, shit!”

Harry had walked into a wall, getting knocked down to the ground. Ron helped him up and put his glasses back on, restoring his vision.

“You all right, mate?”

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” Harry said, brushing the dirt off his trousers. “The point is: you can’t say you’ve only _just_ noticed she’s a girl, then ask her to some stupid ball. Even if it’s just as a friend. Try not to be so thick.”

Harry was right. If Ron had just gone up to her and said what he was going to, there was no chance in hell she would have said ‘yes’. His best friend had just stopped him from making a _terrible_ decision.

***

Ron’s plan of asking Hermione to the ball, it turned out, was far from foolproof.

In theory, it should have been easier asking a friend like Hermione than anyone else, but as he waited for her to step through the portrait hole to the common room, Ron found himself dreading the deed.

Harry wasn’t much help either; tossing the egg back and forth between them as they sat by the fire. Ron would ask him something, and he’d respond by saying something completely unrelated, his thoughts more focused on Cho.

As the door opened, Ron looked away, missed the egg, and was hit in the head for a second time that day.

“Ron!” Hermione came over to him, inspecting his head. “Are you okay?”

“Brilliant.” he said, picking up the egg and handing it back to Harry. Immediately he stood up, nodded at Ron, and head up the stairs to their dormitory. Ron and Hermione were left alone now. “Bit distracted is all.”

Hermione sat next to him in the seat previously occupied by Harry, eyes darting between Ron and the stairs.

“Still haven’t figured out the second task?”

Being completely honest, Harry and Ron hadn’t thought about it at all. They just sat around, pretending to be throwing ideas back and forth whenever Hermione came around.

“Harry’s trying to figure out who to take to the ball.” Ron and Hermione shared a look. Cho wasn’t a mystery to her either. “Speaking of the ball…” he tugged on his tie and looked towards the fire, hoping the glow would mask the growing redness of his face.

“Yes?” Hermione perked up.

“D’you wanna go with me?” he asked rapidly, barely understand himself.

“What was that?”

Ron already asked, so the second time felt much easier.

“Do you -” he cleared his throat, now turning to face her. “- do you want to go to the ball with - with me?”

Hermione looked surprised, but also pleased. She smiled, saying “yes.”

“Wot?” Ron wasn’t sure he’d heard her properly.

“Yes.” she repeated, blushing. “I - I’d like to go with you.” Hermione stood up, heading up the stairs to the girls dorms. “To the ball.” she added, peeking her head back. “I’d like to go with you to the ball.”

“Brilliant.” Ron grinned, tapping his foot against the ground.

“Brilliant.” she echoed. “See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.”

As Hermione disappeared, Ron sprang to his feet, running up to meet Harry and tell him the good news.


End file.
